giving him caufe; and that, I hope, is an unmeasurable distance.

Mrs. Ford. You are the happier woman.

Mrs. Page. Let's confult together against this greasy knight: Come hither. [they retire.

Enter FORD, PISTOL, PAGE, and NYм.

Ford. Well, I hope it be not fo.

Pift. Hope is a curtail dog in fome affairs:

Sir John affects thy wife.

Ford. Why, fir, my wife is not young.

Pift. He wooes both high and low, both rich and poor, Both young and old, one with another, Ford;

He loves thy gally-mawfry; Ford, perpend.

Ford. Love my wife?

Pist. With liver burning hot: Prevent, or go thou, Like Sir Acteon he, with Ring-wood at thy heels:O, odious is the name!

Ford. What name, fir?

Pift. The horn, I fay: Farewel.

Take heed; have open eye; for thieves do foot by night: Take heed, ere fummer comes, or cuckoo-birds do fing.— Away, fir corporal Nym.

Believe it, Page; he speaks fense.

[Exit PISTOL.

Ford. I will be patient; I will find out this.

Nym. And this is true; [to Page.] I like not the humour of lying. He hath wrong'd me in fome humours: I fhould have borne the humour'd letter to her; but I have a sword, and it shall bite upon my neceflity. He loves your wife; there's the short and the long. My name is corporal Nym; I fpeak, and I avouch. 'Tis true;-my name is Nym, and Falstaff loves your wife.Adieu! I love not the humour of bread and cheese; and there's the humour of it. [Exit NYM.

Adieu.
C 4

Page.

Page. The humour of it, quoth 'a! here's a fellow frights humour out of his wits.

Ford. I will feek out Falstaff.

Page. I never heard fuch a drawling, affecting rogue. Ford. If I do find it, well.

Page. I will not believe fuch a Cataian, though the prieft o' the town commended him for a true man.

Ford. 'Twas a good fenfible fellow: Well.

Page. How now, Meg?

Mrs. Page. Whither go you, George ?-Hark you. Mrs. Ford. How now, sweet Frank? why art thou meJancholy?

Ford. I melancholy! I am not melancholy.-Get you home, go.

Mrs. Ford. 'Faith, thou haft some crotchets in thy head now. Will you go, mistress Page?

Mrs. Page. Have with you.-You'll come to dinner, George-Look, who comes yonder; fhe fhall be our mes fenger to this paltry knight. [Afide to Mrs. FORD.

.

Enter Miftrefs QUICKLY.

Mrs. Ford. Trust me, I thought on her: fhe'll fit it. Mrs. Page. You are come to fee my daughter Anne ? Quick. Ay, forfooth; and, I pray, how does good miftrefs Anne?

Mrs. Page. Go in with us, and fee; we have an hour's talk with you.

[Exeunt Mrs. PAGE, Mrs. FORD, and Mrs. QUICKLY. Page. How now, master Ford?

Ford. You heard what this knave told me;

did you not? Page. Yes; and you heard what the other told me?

Ford. Do you think there is truth in them?

Page. Hang 'em, flaves! I do not think the knight would offer it: but thefe that accufe him in his intent

towards

towards our wives, are a yoke of his difcarded men; very rogues, now they be out of fervice.

Ford, Were they his men?

Page. Marry, were they.

Ford. I like it never the better for that.-Does he lie

at the Garter?

Page. Ay, marry, does he If he fhould intend this voyage towards my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than fharp words, let it lie on my head.

Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be loth to turn them together: A man may be too confident; I would have nothing lie on my head: I cannot be thus fatisfied.

Page. Look, where my ranting hoft of the Garter comes there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks so merrily.-How now, mine host? Enter HOST, and SHALLOW.

Hoft. How now,

valero-juftice, I fay.

bully-rook thou'rt a gentleman: ca

Shal. I follow, mine hoft, I follow.-Good even, and twenty, good master Page! Master Page, will you go with us? we have fport in hand.

Hoft. Tell him, cavalero-justice; tell him, bully-rook. Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought, between fir Hugh the Welch prieft, and Caius the French doctor.

Ford. Good mine hoft o' the Garter, a word with you. Hoft. What say'st thou, bully-rook ? [They go afide. Shal. Will you [to Page] go with us to behold it? My merry hoft hath had the measuring of their weapons; and, I think, he hath appointed them contrary places: for, believe me, I hear the parfon is no jefter. Hark, I will tell you what our fport fhall be.

Hoft.

Hoft. Haft thou no fuit against my knight, my gueftcavalier?

Ford. None, I proteft: but I'll give you a pottle of burnt fack to give me recourfe to him, and tell him, my name is Brook; only for a jeft.

Hoft. My hand, bully: thou fhalt have egrefs and re. grefs; faid I well? and thy name fhall be Brook: It is a merry knight.-Will you go on, hearts?

Shal. Have with you, mine host.

Page. I have heard, the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier.

Shal. Tut, fir, I could have told you more: In the fe times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, master Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have feen the time, with my long fword, I would have made you four tall fellows fkip like rats.

Hoft. Here, boys, here, here! fhall we wag? Page. Have with you :-I had rather hear them fcold than fight. [Exeunt HOST, SHALLOW, and PAGE. Ford. Though Page be a fecure fool, and ftands fo firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion fo eafily: She was in his company at Page's house; and what they made there, I know not. Well, I will look further into't; and I have a difguife to found Falftaff: If I find her honest, I lose not my labour; if she be otherwife, 'tis labour well bestow'd.

SCENE II.

A Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL.

[Exit.

Fal. I will not lend thee a penny.

Pift. Why, then the world's mine oyster,